First, international graduate students are encouraged to check the hiring department website for information on teaching assistant requirements, deadlines, and instructions.
International TA candidates can demonstrate English language proficiency to serve as a TA through one of the following:
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Qualifying Speaking Score on TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Standardized Language Exams (valid at the time of application)
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Test
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Score
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TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
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26-30
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IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
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8-9
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PTE (Pearson Test of English)
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84-90
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Exemption Based on Prior Degree from Institution Where English is the Only Medium of Instruction
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Passing Score on the English Language Certification Exam (ELCE)
Also, check the Graduate Division website for general information and requirements. If students have previously been employed as a teaching assistant, they should submit the language test document and teaching assistant evaluations or transcript (if they assisted for a grade) to the hiring department.
The English Language Certification Exam (ELCE) is a 15-minute live interview and teaching simulation during which the candidate’s oral English language competency for teaching is assessed.
International teaching assistant candidates who do not meet criteria (1) or (2) to show their English language proficiency are assessed by a linguist and faculty representative for specific language skills, including pronunciation accuracy, listening comprehension, question-handling, use of general and technical vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, smoothness of speech, and organizational clarity.
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TOEFL Speaking Score
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IELTS Speaking Score
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PTE Speaking Score
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Cleared to TA?
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Qualify for ELCE?
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What This Score Indicates
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26 - 30
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8 - 9
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84 - 90
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Yes
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No
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Your score indicates you are fluent in the English language. You may be appointed as a TA, and you do not need to take the ELCE.
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23 - 25
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7 - 7.5
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66 - 83
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No
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Yes
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Graduate Division requires you to pass the ELCE at UC San Diego prior to accepting a TA assignment.
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0 - 22
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0 - 6.5
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0 - 65
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No
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Not yet
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Your score indicates you need further language classes prior to qualifying for the ELCE. You may not accept a TA position at this time.
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An overall ELCE score determines the level of qualification for a teaching assistant assignment.
Possible recommendations from the test include:
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Score
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What This Score Indicates
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3.5 - 4.0
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Pass. You have met the requisite language skills for teaching and may accept an offer for a TA position. No further testing required.
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3.0 - 3.4
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Pass w/Conditional Certification. You have met the requisite language skills for teaching and you may accept an offer as a teaching assistant, but you must improve your pronunciation accuracy and/or communication skills. You must work on targeted skill(s) concurrent with your TA assignment. Upon successful completion of the work, the requirement to “pass” will have been satisfied. No further testing required.
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2.5 - 2.9
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Provisional Pass. You have met some of the requisite language skills for teaching but must develop pronunciation accuracy, speech flow, and grammatical accuracy. You may accept an offer as a teaching assistant but must work on targeted skills before or concurrent with your TA assignment. Upon successful completion of the work, you will be tested again to verify improved language skills.
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0.0 - 2.4
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Did not pass. You have not met the requisite language skills for teaching. You must improve overall proficiency and/or pronunciation accuracy. You may not accept an offer as a teaching assistant at this time. You will be tested again after you have worked to improve all proficiency skills.
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If a TA candidate did not pass the ELCE, there is an opportunity to retake the exam. PhD level international graduate students must qualify to TA by the third test. Master level international graduate students must qualify to TA by the second test.
TA candidates are encouraged to utilize all language resources available prior to retesting. ESL courses offered by Division of Extended Studies in the “Conversation and Discussion” or “Pronunciation and Fluency” categories (or similar courses at other institutions) are generally accepted as proof that students have worked on their oral fluency. UC San Diego graduate students with a TA requirement may utilize the free ELP-ii classes offered by the Teaching and Learning Commons.
The TOEFL/IELTS/PTE tests are used to assess a student’s readiness to study at a university. The ELCE is used to assess a student’s readiness to teach in the hiring department.
International graduate students must apply for a teaching assistant position of their choice from the hiring department. If selected, the international student is a teaching assistant candidate, and the process to schedule and take the ELCE begins.
International graduate students DO NOT sign up for the ELCE. Instead, they are supported by the hiring department, the faculty representative, and the ELCE Coordinator (from the Division of Extended Studies) to schedule the ELCE for the student.
The hiring department and the faculty representative work together to identify a date and time for all international graduate students to be tested by contacting the ELCE Coordinator. Once coordination is done, the department/faculty representative communicates the date and time to all international graduate students with a teaching assistant offer.
The ELCE is offered 4 times per academic year: during the month of September and near the end of each quarter. Testing is offered remotely.
The hiring department is different from the home department of the international graduate student. The hiring department is the department that the student applied to for employment as a teaching assistant. The hiring department works with the ELCE Coordinator to schedule the ELCE prior to the student accepting the offer of the teaching assistant position.
A department’s faculty representative plays an important role in determining whether the teaching assistant candidate’s English meets the level of proficiency required for employment as a teaching assistant.
According to Graduate Division language screening guidelines, the ELCE screening panel consists of at least two members, at least one faculty representative and at least one linguist. The faculty representative is the expert in the graduate student’s discipline.
During the ELCE, the faculty representative asks questions typically asked by undergraduates in class, prompts the graduate student for further explanation, and assesses responses for appropriateness and clarity using a rubric.
ELCE recommendations are emailed to the graduate coordinator of the hiring department after the test to process the hiring of the student as a teaching assistant. Later, an email with formal recommendations and detailed information (including the student’s overall score, subscores, and comments) is also emailed to the student.
No. The policy does not apply to students serving as language assistants in courses conducted in their native language. The policy applies to students who serve as teaching assistants in courses conducted in English.